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Force Traditions
Even those who don't believe in The Force and aren't particularly attuned to its flow can call upon The Force without understanding exactly what they are doing. When a stroke of luck occurs, or fate seems to be on your side and helps you accomplish a difficult objective, it could be The Force coming to your aid. In game terms, the expenditure of Force Points by non-Force-using characters represents this unconscious, tenuous connection to the Force that all living things share. When a Force-using character calls on The Force this way, he or she knows exactly what's happening. The most prominent and well-known Force-users in the galaxy are The Jedi. However, The Jedi are not the only ones who have learned to manipulate The Force. Other Force-users sometimes attribute their abilities to sources other than The Force, such as magic or gods, but they are all using the energy to manipulate the world around them. In game terms, anyone with the Force Sensitivity Feat has the ability to master the Use the Force skill and learn Force Powers, though many of these beings will never go down this particular path. Other Force-using Traditions include Dark Side cults (Such as The Sith), and obscure, isolated sects such as The Witches of Dathomir and The Sorcerers of Tund. Some know The Force for what it is but approach its use in a different way from The Jedi. Others know The Force by a different name. Either way, it remains the mystic energy that binds the galaxy together and gives Force-users their powers. '''Membership: '''The conditions for being considered a member of a given Force Tradition are outlined in the description. A character may be a member of more than one Force Tradition, but this is uncommon. Additional Force Traditions The mysteries and manipulations of The Force have never been solely the province of The Jedi and The Sith. These two groups dominate the galactic stage for thousands of years, but many worlds and cultures establish their own traditions based on their own cultures and understanding of The Force. Unlike The Jedi and The Sith, these Force-Using Traditions rarely seek dominance of all Force teaching. Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide The mysteries and manipulations of The Force have never been solely the province of The Jedi and The Sith. These two groups dominate the galactic stage for thousands of years, but many worlds and cultures establish their own traditions based on their own cultures and understanding of The Force. Unlike the Jedi and Sith, these Force Traditions rarely seek dominance of all Force teaching. In The Old Republic Era, most Jedi view non-Jedi traditions as misguided at best, or downright threatening if the tradition embraces The Dark Side. As always, Dark Side threats are sought out and eliminated where possible. Other Force Traditions are tolerated, even embraced, especially when The Jedi believe they can learn something new. However, The Jedi still attempt to convert practitioners of these other Force Traditions to The Jedi Order. The Sith, on the other hand, attempt to dominate all other Force Traditions. Exactly how they view a specific Force Tradition depends on the strength of The Sith. When The Sith number in the thousands, such as during The Great Sith War, they attempt to eradicate all other Force Traditions. They corrupt and convert those open to their teachings, and eliminate all others. When The Sith numbers are reduced, or are operating under Darth Bane's Rule of Two, they rarely take on another Force Tradition directly. However, they might still attempt to recruit apprentices from these Force Traditions. In The Old Republic Era, many more Force Traditions are operating throughout the galaxy than in the classic era. Practitioners of these Force Traditions are most likely found on their homeworlds, or within their home cultures. However, individual practitioners might travel to other worlds on occasion. Force Unleashed Campaign Guide Scum and Villainy Clone Wars Campaign Guide Even though The Jedi are the most prominent and well-known users of The Force in the galaxy during the Clone Wars, they are not the only ones who know how to manipulate The Force. Other Force-using traditions exist and ascribe the source of their powers to other sources, such as magic or a deity, but they all use the same source of energy to accomplish the desired effect when they call upon that power. Basically, anyone with the Force Sensitivity Feat has the capability to utilize the Use the Force Skill and learn Force Powers, even though they might not follow the path of a Force-user. During the Clone Wars, other traditions that use The Force include Dark Side sects such as The Sith as well as little known factions such as The Korunnai. Others know The Force as it is but approach its use from a different direction and purpose than The Jedi. Still others call The Force by a totally different name. Regardless of the approach, The Force remains the same and is the one constant that ties these organizations together. Legacy Era Campaign Guide Although The Sith, The Imperial Knights, and the shattered fragments of The Jedi take center stage in The Legacy Era, there is still plenty of room for other Force Traditions. Force-using traditions on the fringe of society are largely ignored by the powers that be, and thus have plenty of opportunities to thrive and expand their influence. The following two Force Traditions are suitable for use in a campaign set in The Legacy Era. Although these traditions are predominantly unaligned, one tradition- The Disciples of Twilight- is more appropriate for player characters than the other- The Ember of Vahl. Players may choose to play characters who are members of The Ember of Vahl at their Gamemaster's discretion. Jedi Academy Training Manual The Jedi and The Sith are just two of the many Force Traditions found throughout the galaxy. Every sentient Species with the ability to utilize The Force has its own groups and philosophies, although only a tiny fraction have been documented by The Jedi Order. Young students are taught about some of these groups, to show the various ways that The Force manifests itself in the galaxy and how it's expressed by different cultures. The different programs described here are included to show some of the alternate beliefs, thoughts, and techniques practices by outlying traditions. Although many of these groups have similar agendas as The Jedi, most have unique requirements for entry that prevent large numbers of students from joining. For example, entry into The Baran Do Sages is limited to Kel Dor initiates with sensitivity to The Force. Over the millenia, The Jedi have set up "Exchange Programs" with some of these groups, sending both students and Jedi Masters alike to study these alternate traditions and learn from them. The Jedi do their best to shield students from some of the more controversial beliefs, but realize that part of understanding The Force, particularly The Dark Side, is to ask questions and witness different beliefs firsthand. Rebellion Era Campaign Guide Unknown Regions Web Enhancements Homebrew Force Traditions The following include all Force Traditions created through Homebrew Content.